Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month (JDAIM) is a unified effort among Jewish organizations worldwide to raise awareness and foster acceptance and inclusion of people with disabilities and mental health conditions and those who love them.
JDAIM is a call to action for all of us to act in accordance with our Jewish values, honoring the gifts and strengths that we each possess.
Established in 2009 by the Jewish Special Education International Consortium, JDAIM is observed each February.
JDAIM’s Mission Statement
The mission of Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month is to unite Jewish communities worldwide to raise awareness and champion the rights of all Jews to be accepted and included in all aspects of Jewish life like anyone else.
Why Participate in JDAIM?
By participating in Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month, we (and you!) do the following:
- Raise awareness of how people with disabilities and mental health conditions have been regarded by Jewish and secular society and how that impacts our own actions.
- Underscore the importance of choosing one’s own Jewish journey.
- Encourage Jews around the world to become genuinely empathetic and welcoming toward people with disabilities and mental health conditions.
- Urge Jews to welcome people with disabilities and mental health conditions into their communities and personal lives.
- Include people with disabilities and mental health conditions in all aspects of communal life.
- Learn how to be a better ally and advocate for the rights of people with disabilities and mental health conditions.
- Support people with disabilities and mental health conditions to make their own decisions about how they want to belong to their Jewish community.
If you're a congregational leader, see "18 Ways Congregations Can Observe Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month" for programming ideas, accessibility tips, and more.
Learn more about what the Torah says about disabilities, then visit jdaim.org to learn more about how you can participate in Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month.
